Advantages of combined photodynamic therapy in the treatment of oncological diseases

Abstract

When conducting combined therapy of malignant neoplasms, treatment methods with various mechanisms of antitumor effects are used, while an additive or even synergistic effect can be realized. Combination treatment regimens are aimed at increasing the efficiency and, above all, at the complete eradication of the tumor, which can be achieved either by suppressing the survival mechanisms in PDT-resistant tumor cells or by pre-attenuation of tumor cells so that they become more susceptible to subsequent PDT. Photodynamic therapy is an approved medical technology for the treatment of various malignant neoplasms, and several precancerous and non-cancer diseases. To date, numerous data have been published on the combined use of PDT with traditional and innovative methods of treatment. This review considers research in this area in recent years.

Keywords: Combined cancer therapy; Nanoparticle drug delivery; Photodynamic therapy; Photosensitizer.

Fig. 1

Photosensitizers used in clinical practice for the PDT of cancer

Fig. 2

Approaches to the combined use of photosensitizers and chemotherapy agents in oncology

Fig. 3

Alkenyl (A) and thioketal (B) linker degradation via ROS generated by PS

Fig. 4

Variants for introducing radioactive isotopes into molecules of porphyrins and their hydrogenated analogs

Fig. 5

Porphyrinoid compounds containing a radioactive isotope for the therapy and diagnosis of tumors

Fig. 6

Schematic representation of a nanotransporter loaded with a PS and a cytotoxic agent

Fig. 7

Use of ROS-sensitive nanoparticles for targeted delivery and controlled release of drugs